Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Teddy has arrived today. (Thanks!) He immediately joined my son's train in the living room. His toys have invaded my place of peace, where I usually make my tea! So, we combined both our toys and welcomed Teddy with very fresh Bi Luo Chun from San Hsia. Green tea is lighter and brewed a little less hot than most teas. So, I reckon it makes a good tea for cute bears and little kids.

This Bi Luo Chun (sample) was harvested in mid January 2008. The first time I tested it (near boiling temperature and 5 minutes), it tasted too bitter. Today, I've waited a little after getting to the boil and brewed a much shorter time. The result was very floral and fresh fragrance and a sweet and light taste. And the potential for bitterness meant that this tea has strength that makes it brewable several times. It's not as delicate as top grade Bi Luo Chun from Jiangsu, China. The leaves are much bigger. But it still makes for an enjoyable, straightforward cup of green tea. Especially, it has the immediate freshness that one expects from a green tea.

So, in a couple of weeks, when the season for spring teas starts in San Hsia, I'll probably bring Teddy along and select some similar green leaves.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Today, I've transfered close to 1 jin (600 grams) Lishan Oolong from a vacuum sealed pack to this white glazed tea jar. I've also followed Menglin's advice to put some (bamboo) charcoal at the bottom of the jar. I think it makes a lot of sense. Active charcoal should help trap bad smells and humidity.This Lishan Oolong is just lightly roasted to preserve the High Mountain freshness of this tea. At the same time, it brings warmth and sweetness from the roasting. (It's quite similar to the 2650m Da Yu Ling I once purchased). I like it very much and think it has a lot of potential to age well.

In September 2006, I wrote an article on jars for aging Oolong. I'm using a different jar for this Oolong, because its roasting isn't as strong as traditional roast. Thus, this Lishan Oolong contains should be completely sealed against moisture and air. That's why I use a completely glazed jar and put wax around the lid. I included a thread in the wax to open it more easily. Now, I intend to keep it closed for at least 4 years before opening it again.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Chinese food during Lunar New Year can be a total disaster if you go to one of the few open and therefore overcrowded restaurant (we made that mistake last Saturday evening). But when skilled and loving family members cook a variety of tasty Chinese dishes at home, then it's as good as it gets for me in Taiwan.

Si, Xiang, Wei are the 3 basic principles for food. They are the first 3 words that a Chinese cook learns. And they also apply for tea:- Si - color: a nice presentation, matching colors... are a feast for eye. It's the first impression we have of something or someone and we all know how difficult it is to change one's first impression. See, for instance, how pleasant it is to watch the picture of this teapot.

- Xiang - smell: the second impression comes as we smell the fragrance of the food/tea. Our nose can be trained to recognize thousands of different smells. This complexity and the many connections in the brain can create wonderful sensations: it can bring back memories or transport us to exotic places within seconds.

- Wei - taste: last, but not least, the food/tea enters the mouth. Here, we hope to confirm the first two impressions. Like in love, that's when 2 become 1, when food/tea becomes part of you. How pleasant is this fusion?

The 'Si Xiang Wei' saying conveys more than just an emphasis on 3 different senses. Spoken together, it shows that there must be a balance, a harmony between these 3 pleasures. If you brew your leaves to get the most out of them in terms of flavors and taste, that's also when you would want to organize your set as beautifully as possible. It's a way to celebrate and honor these wonderful leaves. Of course, beauty is a matter of taste and everybody has a different idea of what it looks like. It can be quite simple or very elaborate. It also depends on your mood and the time you can spend brewing tea.

A beautiful tea setting is raising expectations about the tea. Only a beautiful tea will fit such an occasion. A cheap tea or even a tea bag would ruin it the same way a cheap hamburger on a silver platter still only smells and tastes like a cheap hamburger! The disappointment would just be bigger. But if you can match or exceed those high expectations, then this will make this tea even more special, more complete.

Friday, February 01, 2008

Before his book Cha Xi - Mandala was published, Teaparker suggested to us (his students) that we set up our tea sets with a particular dynasty in mind. This would make brewing tea more interesting, because it links our current tea experience with the past. In my previous post, I took my inspiration from the Tang dynasty. I didn't brew tea the way it was brewed back then, but I used colors and objects that relate to Lu Yu's time and his Cha Jing.

This time, I'm not just using a display inspired by the Sung dynasty, I'm also brewing tea in Sung dynasty fashion (or, at least, as close as possible with today's limitations).

A black fabric serves as background for my tea set. It matches the white Qingbai plates and the black Jian Yao bowls. I add a flower in a Qingbai vase to add some color and better let you imagine the fine fragrances that flow from the tea bowl.I'm again displaying an ewer for hot water, since this accessory continued to be used during the Sung dynasty. The spout grew longer and finer during this period.

And these ewers will continue to evolve in later dynasties to become our current teapots! They started as a simple, big accessory and became the centerpiece of modern gongfu cha as they grew smaller! It's a nice paradox!

Jian Yao bowls (Tenmoku) were made in the kilns of the city of Jianyang in Fujian. The Jian Yao clay contains a lot of iron, and the glazing is very thick. This helps the bowls retain heat longer. Also, during firing, color alterations appeared on the surface of the bowl. Sung dynasty tea drinkers would love to watch these natural color patterns. Here, an example of "hare's fur" bowl.

In my setup, I'm using 1 modern Jian Yao bowl to make the tea and 3 ancient smaller Jian Yao bowls as decoration items.

The first step is to preheat the bowl.Then, with a thin bamboo spoon, I put the grinded green tea in the center of the bowl. I'm using high grade Japanese matcha (kept in my freezer), because the Japanese are still using (and have further refined) Chinese techniques from the Sung dynasty to preserve the freshness of this kind of tea. Its green color is very vivid and strong.

In the next step, we add a little bit of water and start mixing the tea and the boiling water with a bamboo whisk. Below, you see me at an intermediate level. The water hasn't reached its max yet.

We repeat this step several times: adding water and whisking the tea and hot water to obtain a smooth mix. (In theory, water should be added 7 times). Thanks to regular and controlled whisking, small bubbles appear and cover the whole surface of the bowl. The color of the tea becomes paler.

It takes several minutes to complete the process. That means that your hand's movements will have a profound impact on the tea and its taste. In modern gongfu cha, we find this impact in the way that water is poured on the leaves. Here, the interaction is much longer and difficult to master. The same tea whisked by 2 different persons will taste very differently. This probably also explains why this tea has continued to fascinate the Japanese until today. I now pause a little to relax my arm and admire the new light green color in my black Jian Yao bowl. Indeed, it's beautiful. It's time to drink the delicate tea froth and the rich tea soup. Smooth.

A sucessful tea doesn't just have a lot of froth, but is also well mixed below the surface. The first and the last drop of tea should taste the same. If the tea is not well whisked, then you would realize that there are still big bits of tea paste at the bottom of the bowl as you finish drinking. This actually happened to my second bowl on that day!

I'm not drinking this tea often enough to really master it. But after drinking it in this beautiful setting, I feel like drinking it much more often. My Mandala really added a new dimension to my tea!

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About Me

My name is Stéphane Erler. I live in Taiwan since 1996 and have been studying tea with Teaparker. He's a worldwide tea expert and author of over 30 tea books. The study of tea isn't just theoretical, but it's also rooted in daily practice. It's a path of continuous improvement. As my brewing technique improves I get access to better teas and better accessories. These things go hand in hand. My blog documents my learning since 2004. And I have set up an online tea boutique with my selection of top quality teas, accessories and tea culture.